Safety guards for cranes and the like



l BY

ATTORNEYS B. w. ANDR/Us Filed April 15, 1958 June 30, 1959 SAFETY GUARDS FOR CRANES AND THE: LIKE United States Patem.

2,892,549 SAFETY GUARDS Fon oRA'NEs LIKE-V i Budd W. Andrus, Eugene, Oreg.

Application Apn'l 1s, 1958, serial No. 728,590

6 claims. (cl. 212-1) The presentY invention relates to safety guards Afor cranes and the like, and particularly with cranes having couhtgerweights associated therewith.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a 'g'ii'ad associated with the cab of a crane for preventing inflifry to workmen when the crane is being revolved about its pivot point. Usually the danger point on a crane is the counterweighted rear end which overhangs the sides of trucks, trailers, and the like and being behind the operator cannot beY seen by the operator of the crane when it' is turning towards theY side of the truck. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety guard serving as a platform for workmen to stand and Walk upon when observing the work being performed.

Af further object of the invention is to provide a safety -guard Vfor-cranes which can fold inwardly to position the same out of operating position while the crane is being transported over the highway.

Another feature of this new and improved safety guard is means are provided in the guard so that when the guard is in folded position, access may be had to the cab of the crane through the guard.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent iu the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the invention showing the safety guard in lowered operating position, and the crane turned transversely of the truck.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the invention, with broken lines illustrating the position of the guards when folded.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged side view of the cab with the guard shown in operative folded position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view of the hinge securing the guard to the frame of the cab of the crane.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference character T indicates generally a conventional truck which has the cab mounted to one side thereof and the engine 11 located on a lower plane than the top of the cab 10, the purpose of which is to provide a space for storing the boom of the crane in transit, although the invention is not so limited.

The crane is indicated by the letter C and is rotatably mounted on a king pin 12 supported on the chassis 13 of the truck T. The weight of the crane C is supported on a trunnion race 14, indicated by full lines in Figure 2, and by broken lines in Figure 1. A portion of a boom is indicated at 15 and is pivotally mounted to the cab 10 at 16 in the usual manner.

The invention comprises guards G secured to the frame 17 of the crane cab C, referring to Figures 4 and 5, by means of a bracket 18 xedly secured to the frame 17 by welding at 19.

' ing a semi-heart shaped contour.

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Ears 18' are securedwto the guard `G and are connected to the bracket 18 by a pivot bolt 18". There can be any number of interconnected ears 18 and brackets 18 to provide proper support of the guard G. v Theguards G include inverted frame angles 20 form- From the point 21 to 'the point 22 'the angle frame 20 forms a uniform circle, theaxis of which is the king pin 12. From the point 22 to the point 23 the angle frame 20 is curved on a smaller radius 24, blending into a lstraight portion 25. This straight portion 25 joins `a straight basic angle 26 at 27.

Transverse inverte-d angle bars 28 have their opposite ends respectively fix'edl'y secured to the basic angle 26, and to the angle 20 by welding. Hingedly secured by hinges 30 to one of the transverse bars 28 is a door section D, which may be opened or closed when the guards G are in vertical position against the side of the crane. cab C, providing access into the side door 29 thereof.

A flat bar 3'1is adjustably mounted to one of the transverse bars 28 by shoulder pins 32 operating freely within the lslots 33 formed in the at bar 31, the lower end of the bar 31 being releasably locked iu position by a Wing nut and bolt assembly 34.

A U-shaped handle 35 is ixedly secured tothe flat bar 31 and when it is desired to open the door D when the guards G are in vertical or folded position, the wing nut 34 is loosened and the operator grasps the handle 35 and moves the flat bar 31 upward, which will move its inner edge 36 away from the front ofthe frame 37 ofthe door D, allowing the door D to be opened, and vice versa, when the door D is closed the at bar 31 is pulled to the position shown in Figure 3, and the Wing nut 34 is again tightened so that when the guard G is in lowered position, as indicated in Figures l and 2, the door D will be held from opening.

A special non-skid screen S is Welded to the top sur face of the frame 20, basic frame 26 and transverse bars 28, providing a safe walk way for the operators of the crane C, also the screen S is welded to the frame of the door D. This non-skid screen S is of great importance from a safety angle while the crane C is in operation, as it will not hold Water or dirt, and therefore will not be slippery for the operators who have to walk over the surface of the guard G in the operation of the crane C.

The guard G is held in the position shown in Figures l and 2 by a supporting chain 38, one end of which is secured at 39 to the angle frame 20 of the guard G and the opposite end at 40 to the brackets 41 on the top of the crane cab C. The guards G are held in folded position by suitable means such as pins 42 which pass through angle brackets 43 mounted on the side of the crane C and down through an opening within the angle frame 20.

Referring to Figure l, the usual counterweight 44 is associated with the crane cab C and it is this counterweight 44 that tends to trap workmen between the sides 45 of the truck T and the sides 46 of the crane cab C adjacent the counterweight 44 when the crane C is being revolved in its operation. It happens that this location is very difcult to observe from the operators position in the crane cab C.

When moving the truck T from place to place, the crane cab C is revolved so that the boom 15 will rest over the engine 11 of the truck T and the guards G are folded in upward position as indicated in Figure 3, and( by the broken lines in Figure 2, and held there by the action of the holding pins 42.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile crane assembly comprising a truck, a crane cab secured to said truck for horizontal swinging movement thereon, a pair of guard members positioned on opposite sides of said cab, means securing the inner edges of said guard members to the lower opposite side edges of said cab mounting said guard members to said cab for swinging movement about spaced apart parallel horizontally extending pivot members, exible means extending from the upper portion of said cab to the outer portion of each of said guard members supporting said guard members in horizontal extended position, means on said cab for releasably securing said guard members in upwardly folded position parallel to the side of said cab,'and a door section hingedly mounted in at least one of said guard members providing access through said guard member to said cab.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guard members each include a frame structure integrally secured together, and a flat screen secured to the upper surface of said guard member to form a platform with said guard member in horizontal position.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said door section includes a movable frame, and a screen integrally secured thereto forming a platform with said guard member in horizontal position.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided on said guard member for releasably securing said door section in closed position parallel to said guard member.

5. A mobile crane assembly comprising a truck, a crane cab secured to said truck for horizontal swinging 4 movement thereon, a pair of guard members positioned on opposite sides of said cab, means securing the inner edges of said guard members to the lower opposite side edges of said cab mounting said guard members to said cab for swinging movement about spaced apart parallel horizontally extending pivot members, means on said cab for releasably securing said guard members in upwardly folded position parallel to the side of said cab, and a door section hingedly mounted in at least one of said guard members providing access through said guard member to said cab.

6. A mobile crane assembly comprising a truck, a crane cab secured to said truck for horizontal swinging movement thereon, a pair of guard members positioned on opposite sides of said cab, means securing the inner edges of said guard members to the lower opposite side edges of said cab mounting said guard members to said cab for swinging movement about spaced apart parallel horizontally extending pivot members and exible means extending from the upper portion of said cab to the outer portion of each of said guard members supporting said guard members in horizontal extended position, means on said cab for releasably securing said guard members in upwardly folded position parallel to the side of said cab.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNrrED srA'rEs PATENTS 1,521,057 Trezona Dec. 30, 1924 1,557,632 Tresider Oct. 20, 1925 v1,640,677 Smiley Aug. 30, 1927 1,973,445 Quinn Sept. 11, 1934 2,355,361 Brown Aug. 8, 1944 2,422,329 Alfano lune 17, 1947 

